Cyclists pedaling along the Chicago River (Photograph by I Bird 2, Flickr)

Many travelers opt for hop-on, hop-off tour buses to get a quick primer on a new place. As silly as it can look, and it does, it’s a useful way to get oriented when you’re visiting a destination for the first time. But there’s an alternative: biking.

The world is in the throes of a bike-path revolution. And not just in Europe. Taiwan has laid 3,000 miles of bike paths in the last decade; Bogotá has become Latin America’s king of cycling; and there’s been a veritable explosion of bike friendliness in the U.S., where 19 million bikes were sold last year. Even Swakopmund, in the heart of the Namib Desert, has bike lanes.

Martha Roskowski, director of the Green Lane Project, says lanes that offer a barrier between bikes and cars are not only safer but they “make cities better places to live and work, and attract people and jobs.”

But the question is, why leave it to locals to have all the fun?

One of the many bike paths around Amsterdam (Photograph by tripu, Flickr)

I don’t bike for biking’s sake. I bike because biking’s the best way to see a place. It’s more fun than public transit, quicker than walking (or horse cart, as I learned in Bagan), and cheaper than taxis or renting a car – not to mention better for the environment. What’s more, biking allows you to access sides of cities you wouldn’t otherwise see.

I had lived in New York City a decade before I took a bike up the Hudson River Park Bikeway. I saw things I didn’t know existed, like out-of-view softball fields, riverside anglers, and a little red lighthouse tucked below George Washington Bridge. What’s more, I was reminded, after years lost in Midtown skyscraper canyons, that New York down deep is a river city.

A Capital Bikeshare cycle in front of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. (Photograph by Mr. T in DC, Flickr)

Bikes are a daily part of life in some parts of the world. While at a conference in Copenhagen, for example, I joined well-dressed, helmet-less commuters on bike lanes to see the sights. Famously, Amsterdam has more bikes than people, due to its efforts to de-emphasize car traffic in the ‘70s (this charming video tells the story).

In Pittsburgh, I reached the Cathedral of Learning by cycling along two of the city’s famed three rivers — and the time I spent in D.C. had never been more rewarding. As a pedestrian, the walk between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol seemed like an epic trek because everything is so spread out along the Mall. But by bike, I made leisurely stops at the various monuments honoring Jefferson, FDR, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Washington — and all within the span of an hour. The experience is easily replicated via the District’s well-organized bike-share system.

Biking just makes for better travel.

I bike because it’s double the trip — you lock onto paths often used by locals, you get exercise, and you feel like you’re cheating by getting away on your own power so quickly. Those reluctant to leave the bus tours can consider spandex. That way, you’re sure to still be pointed at as you whiz past.

Robert Reidhas written a couple dozen guidebooks for Lonely Planet and regularly appears to discuss travel trends on national TV. Follow him on Twitter @ReidOnTravel.

Comments

Sandrine

Santa Cruz, CA but originally from France

November 24, 2013, 9:14 pm

Thank you so much for this wonderful article.
I’ve been in Santa Cruz for some 12 years now and started bike commuting 5 years ago when I only used to mountain bike in France.
Bike commuting has changed my life for the better.
I have such a different attitude toward life and people.
When I think that every trip I make is free AND doesn’t pollute it puts such a big smile on my face.
There are more and more people on wheels and it’s a wonderful thing, I just hope car drivers and cyclists will eventually cohabitate better…
It’s a work in progress.
Merci/Thank you,

khero

November 23, 2013, 9:58 am

amazing

Len

United States

November 15, 2013, 8:06 am

I recently did a 4 month solo cycling tour through Eastern Europe, beginning in Estonia, traveling through Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. I was amazed at the number of bike paths everywhere even in remote areas of the countryside. Eastern Europe is so far ahead of us in the US when it comes to traveling by bicycle. I live in Boulder Co and we have bike paths in the city and other communities, but there is a continual problem of interaction with car drivers who fail to pay attention (cellphones, texting while driving) which results in deaths every year. I have lived in China and seen the beautiful paved bike paths they have in cities, dedicated roads just for bicycles. But when we have legislators in the US who feel bicycles should be on sidewalks and not in the streets and that providing funds for bike paths is a waste of taxpayer money, it is very slow progress in the US.

Anna

Vienna

November 14, 2013, 12:05 am

I totally agree. I recently hosted someone on a RTW trip here in Vienna, and needless to say, his budget was tight and public transport is expensive for visitors. So I suggested we use the CityBike system and took him on a few bike tours. It’s free for the first hour, and then again after a break of 15 minutes. Very convenient and a great way to see the city. Even I as a local enjoyed it a lot.
I know they have that system in a few cities (though it’s not always free), so if you have the chance, I’d totally recommend using it for sightseeing!

Kristin

Italy, Rome

November 12, 2013, 2:52 am

I agree with you but it’s also important to remember the safety gadgets. I bike in Rome everyday and it is dangerous! With a helmet and working lights you got yourself a small life insurance. Btw, did you know that our major supposedly bikes everyday to work??

Richie C

Perth,Australia

November 10, 2013, 1:56 am

It would seem a better way to travel;#1 Good exercise. #2 More important,kinder to Mother Earth.

travelingbruin

November 8, 2013, 1:19 pm

I agree!! I took bike tours in Berlin & they were so much more enjoyable than sitting on a bus. Plus, you cover more ground than walking!